The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors and more particularly to connectors which can be mated underwater.
To avoid water contamination, conventional receptacle and female plug electrical connectors may be sealed by o-rings or gaskets. These designs may work well in generally dry environments. However, electrical connectors in some applications may be exposed to non-dry air environments, such as humid air, rain, or sprayed seawater. Further still, a connector may be submerged in, for example, ships, submarines or underwater equipments. Even such underwater connector halves may be conventionally sealed by o-rings or gaskets. It is desirable to exclude water from the electrically live portions of the connectors as, among other things, water may create electricity leakage paths. Water can damage the electrically conducting connectors by corrosion or by deposition of insulating salt or impurity onto the connectors. In certain applications and environments, it is desirable to not only exclude water after being mated, but also to exclude water during mating, even when mating under water.
Conventional connectors addressing underwater mating or mating in a wet environment may be complex. They may be filled with oil. Said conventional connectors may have many small parts, such as valves and springs. Due, at least in part, to their complexity, conventional connectors may be difficult to build and repair. Such connectors may be expensive to produce and replace. Dielectric gel containing connectors can also be designed to allow underwater mating of connectors with water exclusion, for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,017 to Chan. However, repeated connection and disconnection of these gel-containing connectors may lead to contamination, leakage of the gel, or other compromise.
Conventional hermetic sealing connectors may be difficult to connect and disconnect due, at least in part, to pressure created during connection and a partial vacuum created during disconnection.
It would be desirable to have connectors that can hermetically seal in the face of multiple connect and disconnect operations. A connector which was relatively user friendly during contact engagement and disengagement, may also be desirable.